Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 6, 2024
Species recorded at Rice Lake
14 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Rice Lake
No stocking record for Rice Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 31, 2023 caught 0.08 walleye per gill net at Rice Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rice Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-06 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-06 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.65 | ||
| Spottail Shiner | 10.81 | ||
| Bluegill | 9.82 | 2–8 in 2023-07-31 | 0.18 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 7.17 | 6 in 1996-07-27 | 0.1 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Golden Shiner
From the 2024-06-06 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Rice Lake on June 6, 2024, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 101 survey sites evenly spaced 200 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: the shoreline zone…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rice Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RiceFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Rice (0600)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RicePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Rice Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 31, 2023 caught 0.08 walleye per gill net at Rice Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 14 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Rice Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Rice Lake is dated June 6, 2024. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Rice Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Rice Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Rice Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rice Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Rice Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Rice Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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